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The Best Episodes of 12 O'Clock High Season 1

Every episode of 12 O'Clock High Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of 12 O'Clock High Season 1!

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  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    12 O'Clock High Season 1 Episode 10 - Interlude
    8.7/10(86 votes)

    S1:E10

    After loosing his best friend Joe Farrell, Savage goes on leave ordered by General Crowe. He goes to Inverness by train then to the Isle of Dunfergus aboard the Glencoe Lass. On the train he meets a Wren officer, Ann Macrae, who is going home on leave. After several unfortunate disagreements, Frank and Ann start to get along and finally fall in love. Savage learns that she has terminal cancer and not long to live. There is nothing he can do and she dies.

    Director:William A. Graham
    Writer:Dean Riesner

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  2. 12 O'Clock High Season 1 Episode 27 - The Mission
    8.7/10(63 votes)

    S1:E27

    Savage and the Piccadilly Lily are given a special mission to bomb an oil line in the Säär Valley. Captain Dirksen is a Lead Bombardier from Wing down for the mission. Captain Walters as the alternate Lead Bombardier. Savage's crew has rotated home, so he is using a new crew but needs two new waist gunners. He chooses Waller & Maglie. Waller is actually a bombardier but has excellent gunnery scores. The navigator First Lieutenant Gunther does not want to fly with ""Wash-out"" Waller. Savage chews Waller out for his negative attitude. Waller has a chip on his shoulder because he washed out of flight school then graduated from bombardier school as a Flight Officer and not a Second Lieutenant. On the mission, a bomb gets hung up on the rack and the crew blames Waller as he supervised the bomb loading. Later Waller saves Gunther's life. Captain Dirksen is killed, and the aircraft carrying the alternate lead bombardier is shot down so Waller takes over and makes a perfect bomb run. The plane

    Director:William A. Graham
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. 12 O'Clock High Season 1 Episode 2 - Follow the Leader
    8.5/10(83 votes)

    S1:E2

    Savage wants the 918th to try a new technique, bombing on the leader. Instead of each bombardier sighting his own target and then making his own bomb-run, the entire group would synchronize with the lead bombardier and when he drops, the whole Group drops. Both Generals' Crowe & Pritchard are opposed to the idea but Savage presses for it. His lead crew consists of Bishop, Zimmerman & Mellon. Mellon has been recommended for the DFC for a previous mission. When his best friend the Navigator was badly wounded, Mellon stayed at his post and made the bomb run anyway. The run was successful but the friend died. Mellon is shaken and on the next mission, the entire group misses and bombs a school. Unsure whether it was faulty equipment or his error, Mellon does not want to be lead bombardier any longer. Savage pushes Mellon and they go up again and successfully bomb the target.

    Director:William A. Graham
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. 12 O'Clock High Season 1 Episode 1 - Golden Boy Had Nine Black Sheep
    8.4/10(120 votes)

    S1:E1

    Captain Joe Gallagher aborts twice in a row bringing him to the attention of General Savage. Savage feels that Gallagher has a chip on his shoulder and is not pulling his weight and assigns him a new plane ""The Leper Colony "" . He tells Gallagher he is going to get a crew of malcontents, ""a co-pilot who is all thumbs, a navigator who can't find his feet, a bombardier who could not hit his plate with a fork"". Gallagher applies for a transfer, but Harvey delays it. Gallagher will have to turn them into a crew. Captain Gallagher is tough on his crew but they start to perform well and after 5 missions, Savage says they have earned the right to change the name. They all decide to keep it, but Gallagher's transfer has come through and he still wants out. Before he goes he wants in on a special 2 plane mission. Savage agrees and they complete the mission but Gallagher's airplane is hit and co-pilot Blake wounded. He can not abandon the aircraft so he gets it home safe. Savage promotes him to

    Director:Don Medford
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. 12 O'Clock High Season 1 Episode 3 - The Men and the Boys
    8.4/10(88 votes)

    S1:E3

    Tom Lockridge is a copilot, on a mission the pilot is killed, and he takes over allowing the crew to bail out. His best friend Captain Wade Ritchie disobeys orders and flies cover with his B-17. Back on the ground Savage tells Ritchie he is going to charge him with disobeying an order for leaving formation. When Lockridge returns and finds this out he turns his back on the General. Savage tries to explain to Lockridge the concept of formation discipline, but he is only concerned about his friend. Ritchie draws a court martial and is reduced in rank to 1st Lieutenant. Savage speaks to Libby MacAndrews, Lockridge's girl and she and Savage both keep working on him. On the next mission Lieutenant Ritchie flies as copilot with Savage and they get hit, Lockridge now an aircraft commander realizes he can't break formation.

    Director:William A. Graham
    Writer:Harold Jack Bloom

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  6. 12 O'Clock High Season 1 Episode 6 - Pressure Point
    8.4/10(81 votes)

    S1:E6

    Senator Clay Johnson wants to shut down the long range bombing program because of high aircraft & manpower losses. Savage argues that they just need adequate fire power and long range fighter support. Since the P-51 mustang is not yet deployed, they lack long range fighter cover. Savage wants to bomb Hamburg or Kiel using aircraft armed with 50 mm guns instead of 20 mm guns. Grounded by bad weather, Savage gets a visit from the Vicar of Archbury who asks him why he has denied permission for Eddie Pryor & April Barret to get married. Perplexed Savage says he has no such request, then speaks to Pryor who confesses he is scared of the commitment. The weather clears and on the next mission Pryor gets trapped in the Ball Turret by damage. Savage turns the mission over to Major Roberts and then he & Mewlay land the damaged plane with Pryor still trapped. The mission is a success - no casualties. Pryor marries April Barrett.

    Director:William A. Graham
    Writer:Unknown

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  7. 12 O'Clock High Season 1 Episode 19 - Faith, Hope and Sergeant Aronson
    8.4/10(81 votes)

    S1:E19

    Before a big mission, Savage is injured with a piece of shrapnel by his heart and consigned to the hospital. He meets a gunner from Major Cobb's crew Sergeant Aaronson who has just seen his best friend Saul Barstein die and he looses his will to live. He and Savage form a bond. To save Savage, Dr. Kaiser calls in his mentor Dr Simon Lewis a cardiologist to operate. The aircraft carrying Lewis crashes and Lewis is killed, forcing Kaiser to operate - successfully along with a blood donation from Aaronson. Savage & Aaronson help each other recover. The big mission is to the Ruhr Valley, after which Aaronson & Ivy get married.

    Director:László Benedek
    Writer:Carey Wilber

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  8. 12 O'Clock High Season 1 Episode 29 - V for Vendetta
    8.4/10(58 votes)

    S1:E29

    Mission to bomb Mannheim. Major Gus Denver has returned to flight duty. On a previous mission he suffered a breakdown after the death of his first crew. Brigadier General Hoagland has just been assigned from the States. He is now the acting Wing Commander in the absence of General. Stoneman, but the job he really wants is 918th Group Commander. He tells Savage that he is out to get him. Major Denver overhears this. Hoagland flies with Savage on a mission to Einhoven and on the way back the plane is hit by flak and two engines go out; Savage orders everyone to bail out. The engines start up again, only Hoagland makes it out and he is strafed by fighters and killed. There is an enquiry, and Major Denver asks to speak with the IG thinking that Savage engineered Hoagland's death. Denver puts himself on the sick list, but Savage gets him back to duty. On the next mission, Denver's entire crew is killed, and he is going to bail out knowing he will be killed by the same fighter, Savage talks

    Director:William A. Graham
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. 12 O'Clock High Season 1 Episode 30 - P.O.W. (1)
    8.4/10(54 votes)

    S1:E30

    No description available

    Director:Don Medford
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. 12 O'Clock High Season 1 Episode 4 - The Sound of Distant Thunder
    8.3/10(81 votes)

    S1:E4

    Andy Lathrop is an unsophisticated Tennessee boy. Flying as Savage's lead bombardier, he saves Savage's life, gets promoted to 1st Lieutenant, and gets recommended for the DFC. On leave he meets and falls in love with Barmaid Mary Lean and asks her to marry him, she agrees. Later the pub she and her father have is destroyed during an air raid and Mary is killed. Crazed with grief he goes AWOL. He and Savage talk and he reconsiders and returns to duty a little wiser.

    Director:Don Medford
    Writer:Edward J. Lakso

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  11. 12 O'Clock High Season 1 Episode 5 - The Climate of Doubt
    8.2/10(80 votes)

    S1:E5

    General Crowe is waiting for Savage to return from a mission, he notices that when the aircraft ""High Flyer"" lands an ambulance rush out to meet it. Out gets a pretty girl dressed in a hula skirt who welcomes the crew. He questions Savage about it. Savage explains he just approved the marriage of one of the gunners, a Hawaiian nicknamed ""Pineapple"" to an English girl, Dorothy Hall. Crowe tells Savage he wants him to meet some one, and whisks him back to his hotel where Savage meets resistance leader Nicole Trouchard. Crowe wants the 918th to bomb two targets on the next mission, first the Rouen marshalling yards, the second being a Gestapo building the French Resistance wants destroyed. Crowe feels this will make the resistance feel that the Americans are true Allies and points out that they need the resistance to help with downed airmen. Crowe also reveals that he and Nicole had a brief affair in the past. Savage is concerned that his men will get hit badly on the second run, Crowe te

    Director:Don Medford
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. 12 O'Clock High Season 1 Episode 18 - The Lorelei
    8.2/10(73 votes)

    S1:E18

    Crowe assigns Colonel Royce as Deputy Group Commander. On his arrival he goes out to meet ""Lorelei"" piloted by Lieutenant Josephs and finds all the crew dead. Royce takes over the plane with a new crew calls her Four Leaf Clover II. On the first mission, Royce's (Red Badger 1) controls freeze up, He leads the next mission (Blue Jay Leader) and the bomb release malfunctions. Each time the plane is checked they can find nothing wrong. Leaving Royce to lead the next mission, Savage goes to London to a SHAEF meeting and runs into Carol Royce. He Returns to base to find that the mission was flown by Major Cobb and that Royce is on sick call. The replacement pilot of the Lorelei, Captain Wayne Parsons was killed in a bizarre accident when a piece of the engine housing flies off and kills him. On the next mission, Royce leads (Red Dog Leader) and Lorelei again malfunctions, he aborts and on the way home orders the crew to bail out, the plane keeps on going and Frank and Joe Cobb take the Picc

    Director:Don Medford
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. 12 O'Clock High Season 1 Episode 23 - The Trap
    8.2/10(60 votes)

    S1:E23

    While working on a plan to bomb Strassbourg, Savage gets trapped in a cellar during an Air Raid. Trapped with him are Lady Constance, Dr Glenway, Miner Bert Higgs and a pregnant woman Eleanor Nicholls. We learn more about the each of the people as they try to free themselves. Dr. Glenway turns out to be Archie Lewis, a lower class con man who redeems himself. After they are freed, Lady Constance decides to open Penrose Hall up as a home for young women like Eleanor.

    Director:Ralph Senensky
    Writer:Richard L. Newhafer

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  14. 12 O'Clock High Season 1 Episode 26 - Mutiny at Ten Thousand Feet
    8.2/10(61 votes)

    S1:E26

    Major Andy Towson, an exceptional pilot & squadron C.O. cracks up after landing. He is a friend of Savages and has flown about same amount of missions as Savage and has always been a rock. Towson's co-pilot Lieutenant Kemp suggests that as Savage's crew is rotating back to US, Towson's crew is ready to fly with him. Phil Reese is being blackmailed by Kemp who knows that his real name is Phil Chapman and that while drunk he hit and killed a young child back home. Kemp wants Reese to support him to take over the plane and fly it to Switzerland. Kemp distracts Lieutenant Patterson in the pharmacy and steals some uppers & downers from the base pharmacy and then says that they belong to Savage. General Stoneman assigns them to fly a mission to drop leaflets around Innsbruck. In the air Kemp acts as though Savage has cracked up. Savage gets the crew to back him by convincing them that they will be court-martialed and that Kemp is using them. Reese comes to Savages aid and Kemp shoots him. Sa

    Director:Sutton Roley
    Writer:Harold Jack Bloom

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  15. 12 O'Clock High Season 1 Episode 31 - P.O.W. (2)
    8.2/10(54 votes)

    S1:E31

    No description available

    Director:Don Medford
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. 12 O'Clock High Season 1 Episode 32 - The Hero
    8.2/10(60 votes)

    S1:E32

    A Legendary World War I fighter ace acting as a Ferry Pilot arrives at Archbury on his way to SHAEF HQ. On the way in the pilot gets killed when Hartley in the co-pilots seat engages some German fighters. The co-pilot is badly wounded while trying to take over the plane. The co-pilot later dies but not before mentioning the incident. Colonel Hartley turns out to be Savages mentor. The 920th Bomb Group will be arriving shortly and General Stoneman is looking for an experienced commander. Savage suggests Major Cobb, then asks Stoneman to consider Colonel Hartley. Hartley is temporarily assigned to the 918 and ignores orders several times. On a final mission Hartley takes his own route & crashes his plane into the target killing himself.

    Director:Ralph Senensky
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. 12 O'Clock High Season 1 Episode 7 - Decision
    8.1/10(64 votes)

    S1:E7

    Major Jack Temple leads the low Squadron on a raid to bomb the flying Bomb (V2) assembly plant at Laon. His aircraft ""The Lucky Lady"" is hit and he is forced to bail out with his crew. Major Temple and 4 of his crew (Kinner, Nichols, Weinstock & Moody) are captured and taken before Oberst Alfred Hoeptner, the commander of the Laon facility. Hoeptner decides that he is going to keep the men prisoner at the factory to prevent them from being bombed. Major Temple states that it is a violation of the Geneva Convention, and Hoeptner aggress hoping that the Americans will file a protest with the Red Cross. All he needs is a little time to close down the factory and move the machinery elsewhere. Back at Archbury, Frank & Harvey are listening to Lord Haw Haw's broadcast outlining the capture of Temple and the fact that he and his men are being held at Laon. Frank and Harvey head off to the officers club, and when Harvey suggests darts, Savage comes up with the idea of pinpoint bombing the targ

    Director:William A. Graham
    Writers:Jack Turley, Clair Huffaker

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  18. 12 O'Clock High Season 1 Episode 15 - Those Who Are About to Die
    8.1/10(62 votes)

    S1:E15

    The 918th draws a particularly tough mission, an aircraft plant in Rhone Valley, 120 miles beyond fighter support range, surrounded by 500 anti-aircraft batteries and at the bombers maximum fuel range. At least 3 squadrons of fighters will be waiting for the bombers and they will not have a lot of fuel for evasive action. Fog rolls in and they stand down for 3 days, the tension of waiting is driving the men crazy. Tom Lockridge has flown 24 missions and has been hospitalized with hepatitis. He and Sergeant Rutherford are the only members of the original crew, all the others completed there tours or were killed. Major Kaiser wants to keep Lockridge is hospital a little while longer but Lockridge wants to get his tour over with.

    Director:Abner Biberman
    Writer:Harold Jack Bloom

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  19. 12 O'Clock High Season 1 Episode 20 - To Heinie, with Love
    8.1/10(59 votes)

    S1:E20

    On a mission to bomb the rail yards at Eissen, Muller the new Navigator performs perfectly but is knocked down during a maneuver. His wallet falls out of his pocket and it contains a picture of a man in a Nazi Uniform. A few minutes later Pike has to break up a fight between Muller & Magill. While Muller is an excellent Navigator his is unpopular because he is German. The fight broke out over the picture Muller keeps of his father in a Nazi uniform. When questioned by General Savage, Muller explains that is his only picture of his father who was an American Bund Nazi. Muller is the lead Navigator on the next mission. Out for walk in the country, Muller meets a deaf girl, Nora and falls in love. Out with Nora, Muller is late for briefing and does not swing his compass before take off. As a result they are off course and miss the target. Muller realizes his error and corrects but the plane is hit and Bombardier Magill is badly wounded. Muller thinking he is dead does not help him. On the

    Director:Ralph Senensky
    Writers:Charles Larson, Gilbert Ralston

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  20. 12 O'Clock High Season 1 Episode 9 - Appointment at Liege
    8.0/10(72 votes)

    S1:E9

    Major Gus Denver returns to the 918th from the States. While he was away on special instructor duty at Langley, his original crew was shot down over Liege and all were killed. Now back as a Squadron & Aircraft commander he wants to get back to bomb Liege. The 918th is ordered to bomb Masstricht at 8000 feet in a raid planned by Ed Chandler. On the mission the co-pilot, navigator & radioman die. Savage is unsure of Denver.

    Director:Don Medford
    Writer:Charles Larson

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  21. 12 O'Clock High Season 1 Episode 11 - Here's to Courageous Cowards
    8.0/10(75 votes)

    S1:E11

    Ross Lawrence a clerk in the Group Office stows away with Joe Morse's crew and shoots down an FW. Later Morse offers to have Lawrence transferred to a flight crew, but he refuses. Suspicious, Morse asks Sergeant Meadows to pull the file from the Ground Exec's office and finds out that Lawrence spent a year in an internment camp as a conscientious objector. Morse who has been lead pilot on too many missions is starting to crack and Savage wants him to step down voluntarily as lead pilot. On the next 2 missions they are badly hit and several of Morse's crew are wounded or killed. Needing replacements, Savage orders Lawrence to report for gunnery training, he does and is assigned to the ""Terrible Tillie"" as left waist gunner. On the next mission Wilson leads when Morse blanks out. They get to the target, and Lawrence hesitates until his friend is killed then he shoots down a fighter. At the debriefing, Major Morse recommends Wilson as the new lead pilot.

    Director:Don Medford
    Writer:Unknown

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  22. 12 O'Clock High Season 1 Episode 25 - The Threat
    8.0/10(56 votes)

    S1:E25

    Axis Sally is broadcasting some very accurate information about the 918th. Including that Savage is going to be killed. When a bomb blast injures 2 men it turns out to be sabotage. Getting treatment for a minor injury, Savage is almost killed by an overdose of 20,000 cc's of morphine administered by a new Nurse, Lt Dietrich. Colonel Reed from G-2 arrives to investigate. Savage leads the next mission and no German planes shoot at Piccadilly Lilly, but shoot down 2 other planes and badly damage 5 more. At base Savage learns that Axis Sally's has made a new broadcast. He aircraft was not shot at as she wants him to die on the 13th. Colonel Reed arrests several people in the Group including Lieutenant Dietrich. Unknown to all Gilly Bright the barber turns out be the spy and he and Savage are going fishing on the River Wye. Gilly tries to shoot Savage on the day after Friday the 13th but at 13:00 hours in compartment 13 on the train; Savage throws him off the train.

    Director:Ralph Senensky
    Writer:Jack Turley

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  23. 12 O'Clock High Season 1 Episode 12 - Soldiers Sometimes Kill
    7.9/10(68 votes)

    S1:E12

    After losing his memory Savage is found wandering around Berkley Square south Grosvenor Street by Lieutenant Ryan. After being examined by Kaiser, he reads in the paper that Barbara Talbot was murdered in London. Later Inspector Thorne and Sergeant Padget from the CID come to see Savage, they found a lighter with a 918th crest in Barbara's flat. Savage is missing his lighter and he has no memory. He starts to retrace his steps to Redgraves Club tnen Barbara's flat. It turns out that Redgraves is a blackmailer & spy, he uses women like Barbara to lure important people into compromising situations. Frank realizes that Redgraves killed Barbara and that Padgett works for Redgraves. Frank confronts Regraves, and as Regraves is about to kill Frank, he is shot and wounded by Inspector Thorne. Next mission will be to Saarbrücken .

    Director:Sutton Roley
    Writer:Charles Larson

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  24. 12 O'Clock High Season 1 Episode 13 - The Suspected
    7.9/10(67 votes)

    S1:E13

    Reporter Clifford Moran believes that Jim Driscoll is really a convicted killer from St Louis named George Kern Turner who in 1933 when 16 years old beat his step father to death. He was sentenced to life in prison and escaped. Driscoll has now been married to Meg, Savage's former clerk for 1 year. Driscoll meets Moran at the Black Raven Pub in Chelsea and refutes Moran. Moran is later killed by falling in front of a subway train at Sloane Square Station. The next day Driscoll does not report in and Savage goes to locate him. He finds that Driscoll's wife had a baby, a son at St Stephens Hospital. It is later revealed that Moran was killed when a pick pocket tried to lift his wallet and Moran fell in front of the train. On the next mission the plane is hit and two engines are out, Lieutenant Eagan, the co-pilot is wounded. Savage orders the crew to bail. Savage can not see and Driscoll stays to help Savage land the aircraft. Driscoll admits he is Turner. Back at base, Turner is ready t

    Director:Don Medford
    Writers:Jack Turley, Charles Larson

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  25. 12 O'Clock High Season 1 Episode 16 - In Search of My Enemy
    7.9/10(65 votes)

    S1:E16

    Major Peter Gray and his wife Ann arrive at the 918th. Savage knows Ann as Ann Goss and was going to marry her a year ago. At Wing HQ, a WAC in photo reconnaissance points out something suspicious on a map, and because she says it reminds her of a Michellene (Mechlin) Lace pattern Savage dubs the investigation photo reconnaissance mission ""Operation Spelling Bee"". As Major Jake Hays is still laid up with a fractured knee, Savage chooses Gray to lead and tells him it is a milk run. The mission is to bomb the rail yards at Saint Edouard, then fly over the camouflaged area for photo reconnaissance. Gray is jealous of Savage's former relationship with his wife and feels that Savage assigned him this mission on purpose. It turns out that the camouflaged area at Saint Edouard are really launching sites for new V-2 bombs and German fighters are around in droves. Only 12 of 20 of the planes return from the photo reconnaissance mission. On the next mission to Saint Edouard, Savage leads a 4 gro

    Director:Don Medford
    Writer:Unknown

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Season 1 Ratings Summary

"Interlude" is the best rated episode of 12 O'Clock High season 1. It scored 8.7/10 from 86 votes. Directed by William A. Graham and written by Dean Riesner, it aired on November 27, 1964.